Mid-Market Report: More Jobs on the Way?

It looks like U.S. middle-market companies are ready to put out the “help wanted” sign.

According to a new survey by American Express (AXP), more than 80% of firms say they plan to hire staff over the next six months. About 52% plan to hire only full-time employees, while 55% of the companies surveyed say they currently have more employees than they did a year ago.

GrubHub (GRUB) reported better-than-expected revenue for the second quarter. The company says revenue rose 48% from a year ago to a record $60 million. GrubHub, which operates a food-ordering platform, also gave an upbeat outlook for the current quarter.

And shares of El Pollo Loco (LOCO) soared nearly 52% in their first day of trading on Friday. The restaurant chain, which specializes in Mexican-style grilled chicken, priced its initial public offering at $15 a share, at the upper end of its previously announced range. El Pollo Loco sold just over seven million shares, raising $107 million.

The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company has more than 400 locations in the U.S., with most of them in California.

Lori Rothman joined FOX Business Network (FBN) in September 2010 as an anchor.